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Monday, 13 July 2015

An innocent woman in need frantically flags you down, begging you for a ride.

Despite not going through the Uber app, she tells you she's in a hurry, asks you to book the ride on your own phone and begs you to drive "across the street" to her friend.

When you comply, all the sudden you're surrounded by a gang of cops who accuse you of acting as a "bandit cab" driver -- someone who takes money under the table for rides, rather than funnel cash through Uber and in turn, the state's taxing authorities -- then you're placed under arrest and your car is impounded.

This is the tactic the LAPD is using to bust unsuspecting Uber drivers on petty statute violations.

Now, three Uber drivers who say they were entrapped by the scheme this past Friday are speaking out.

"Bluntly, I think it's cruel," victim Michael Chadwick said.

All the men say they've never asked people if they needed rides in the past and pointed out they have near perfect customer ratings, nonetheless they've been made to "feel like criminals."

The LA Department of Transportation confirmed they and the LAPD carry out such operations but failed to comment on the cases.

For the three men, their next step is to try and get their vehicles back, but they fear what it will cost them, Uber driving is their only job.